Torres Fransola Sauvignon Blanc, DO Penedes

Description

Torres Fransola Sauvignon Blanc is a white wine from DO Penedes, it is Torres’ top Sauvignon Blanc, from one of their most celebrated vineyards.

Familia Torres Wines has been making wine in the ancient Catalán town of Vilafranca del Penedès, southwest of Barcelona, since the 17th Century. It is this tradition combined with innovation, dynamism and commitment to quality that has put Torres firmly on the world map. They remain one of the largest family-owned and run wine companies in the world (there is also Miguel Torres Chile and Marimar Torres in California) and, under the stewardship of fourth-generation Miguel Torres they are committed to sustainable viticulture and green practices. Today Torres not only have vineyards in their home region of Penedes, but all over Spain in regions such as Priorat, Rioja and Rueda. In 2006 Torres was awarded European Winery of the Year in Wine Enthusiast’s Annual Wine Star Awards. The Torres family is also one of the founding members of Primum Familiae Vini.

Torres Fransola Sauvignon Blanc takes the name “Fransola” from an old country house close to La Llacuna in the Upper Penedes. The Fransola vineyard is a small 25 hectare estate located in Alts d’Ancosa subzone in the Penedès uplands at Santa Maria de Miralles at around 550m above sea level. It is at these cooler altitudes where aromatic varieties, such as Sauvignon Blanc, can be grown.

The cold nights and warm days create the perfect climate for cultivating vines, giving the best Sauvignon Blanc,  to create this elegant and balanced wine. The soils here are deep reddish calcareous clay that is moderately well drained and has a high water holding capacity. They allow white varieties, especially Sauvignon Blanc, to reach their full aromatic expression. Riesling and Forcada (a rare ancestral variety rediscovered and launched by Torres in the early 1980s) are also grown here.

Sauvignon Blanc forms the basis of this unique wine which is partially fermented and aged in new American oak. 50% of the blend is fermented in stainless steel and the rest is fermented in new oak barrels and aged for 6 months. After blending, the wine is then aged for 6 months in new barrels (50% new, mix of American and French oak).